"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the
Sabbath.”
(Mar
2:27 ESV)
This
verse came to mind as I was driving home from Florida this past week. Even though I’ve served for only two months,
my new congregation allowed us some time away.
And this break was much needed after a year of work, along with the
stress of our transition and move.
The
Sabbath was made for man. In other
words, the Sabbath is God’s gracious gift to man. But why did he give it?
When we
look to the giving of the Ten Commandments, in the book of Exodus, we see
why. In Exodus 20, we’re told that it’s
a time of rest. As God worked for six
days and rested on the seventh, he gave the Sabbath to us. So the Sabbath is a rest from our labors,
something which all of us require.
In
Deuteronomy 5, we find that it’s not only a day of rest. It’s a day of
remembrance. It was a reminder to the
people that they were slaves in the land of Egypt and that God had set them
free. The opportunity they had to rest
from their labor reminded them of this great blessing which was denied them
during their time of bondage.
Further,
we see in in Leviticus 23:3 that the Sabbath was a day of holy convocation, or
a day of sacred assembly. In other
words, the Sabbath was a day for corporate worship. The people were to gather in worship of the
God who both made them and redeemed them.
In
addition, God also commanded several holidays that were to be celebrated by the
people. Again, no work was to be
done. The people were to worship
God. And each of these celebrations were
remembrances of God’s salvation and provision.
However,
as we look at Mark 2, we see that, in the time of Jesus, the Sabbath was no
longer being used for its intended purpose.
The religious leaders had made it something other than a day of grace
for God’s people. They had made it
burdensome. In fact, it was hard work to
keep the Sabbath.
One
Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking through the grain fields. As they walked, they plucked heads of
grain. They were then criticized by the
Pharisees for working on the Sabbath.
Even
though the New Testament is clear that we’re not bound to certain days or
months when it comes to our rest, many in the church think and act just like
the Pharisees. They say that all we can
do on Sunday is go to church and take a nap.
If we do anything whatsoever, we’re criticized for working.
For this
reason, Jesus gave the above reminder to the Pharisees. He told them that the Sabbath was made for
man, not man for the Sabbath. In other
words, the Sabbath is God’s blessing to man.
It’s not another burden for his people to bear.
This is
the blessing I recently enjoyed during my vacation. I was able to rest from my labors. It wasn’t a burden, it was a blessing. I didn’t have a set of requirements to
follow. I was able to simply get away
from my day to day work. And the same is
true of my day off each week, and during our holiday celebrations.
I don’t
have to worry, with everything I do, that I’m violating the Sabbath. I can simply enjoy my time free of
labor. I can sleep a little later. I can enjoy my family. I can enjoy activities for which I have no
time during my regular work week.
I thank God who’s given me
this gift. And, as I rest from my
labors, I’m reminded of the rest God has provided for me in Christ. I’m reminded of the fact that I don’t have to
work to receive God’s blessings, because the work of Christ has accomplished it
for me.
1 comment:
I think in 2015, we definitely need to rediscover the need for rest. And I mean, rest from 'entertainment' as well. How can we ever hope to hear the Lord and be directed by Him if we cannot be alone and quiet long enough to seek Him?
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